By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Iloilo Kisela Knights just earned their best winning streak of the playoffs with eight in the ongoing 2021 Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) San Miguel Corporation-Ayala Land Premier Association Cup playoffs.
After dealing the Palawan Queen’s Gambit and the Toledo City Trojans with convincing defeats, the Kisela Knights weren’t done and are currently on a roll after dispatching the Camarines Soaring Eagles, 16-5, and the Mindoro Tamaraws, 19-2.
Iloilo was quick to let their presence known as early as the first seven playing boards with an immediate 6-1 lead.
WFM Cherry Ann Mejia, Cesar Mariano, Fritz Bryan Porras, NM John Michael Silvederio, and Lloyd Lanciola all won the last five boards that helped their lead balloon to five.
It was still Iloilo who had the more dominant performance in the rapid category as they all won their respective playing boards.
Meanwhile, against Mindoro, the Kisela Knights never slowed down and repeated their dominance in both the rapid and blitz categories.
Mindoro only managed to score two in all of the 14 playing boards courtesy of AGM Nezil Arj M. Merilles in the rapid category but wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
The huge back-to-back win outing helped the Kisela Knights maintain their no. 1 spot in the Southern division with 266 points.